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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ruler · spell · rule · race · track · bat

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. track — a path
  3. rule — government
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. spell — a short time
  7. race — humankind
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. race — the arms race
  10. track — to keep track
  11. race — a contest
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. track — a song
  16. rule — a law
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — letters

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com